For those of you currently pitching, or if you've pitched/sold, what is your take on using nutshells to sell a tv or movie project? More often than not, I am finding that they hurt more than help my pitches. It seems like they can become too distracting from the get go. I am concerned that using it will make producers conclude that "they've seen it" before they hear the rest.
Screenwriting : Nutshells by Angie Walls
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What’s a nutshell? Unfamiliar with the term.
I used them in other things as a conclusion. A way of leaving the audience with a single easy to remember idea. But never at the start of something.
How are you using them?
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"Jaws" meets "Four Weddings and a Funeral" -- I don't like them either.
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if using them, I'd be putting them at end in your concluding statement maybe. Hard to know if they add value or detract, especially when you don't the reader and their knowledge. The reader could be a 22 year old grad so "Blade Runner meets A clockwork Orange' probably will not ring any bells to him. So how far back do you go when choosing your nutshell films - 5 years? 10? Do you use commercial or critical success films as examples? I am personally not a fan of them but would use them if I knew that the studio/producer requests them/likes them.
It's a mixed bag. With feature films (drama, thriller), I might get a few producers who like them. But with sci-fi, it's tough. I've stopped mentioning Lost at all as a mystery show reference, because it's such a unique case for success -- and invites such skepticism, like how could I surpass Lost? One of my past nutshells was Legion meets Mr. Robot. Both shows are ending under four seasons, currently, but I'd argue that their story engines were not built to last longer than that. I have also used Lost meets Dollhouse (Joss Whedon's show, which is an obscure reference for some ppl). Mine is basically a sci-fi show that involves nanotech and mind-erasing science experiments. I definitely have steered clear of mentioning Black Mirror as a reference either, because I have heard comments back, "we don't need another Black Mirror."
Nutshells are Comps in my mind. Hardly ever use them.
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First, I would suggest using the more common industry vocabulary term “comps” for comparisons, not “nutshells.” That seems a personal label, although it certainly could be used interchangeably. Second, comps are often expected and/or required. I don’t care for them either, but if you can’t come up with good comps for a project that can be detrimental to your pitch. Not having solid comparisons can imply that you don’t know what genre or what your project is even about or where it would fit, how marketable it is, what audience. So it’s good to have comps selected and in mind, if ever asked or should the need to give comps arise.
Personally I shy away from using them, never really liked the idea. But, as Beth said, I'd still have it in my mind so if asked, you can give a suitable response.